As some of you have noticed, usergroups for The Minor Celebrities and The Jungle Cruise Guides have been created on WOWAY. That's because we're trying out something a little different this season. Each tribe will have an individual forum in which to discuss strategy and work on challenges. These forums will be viewable only by the members of that tribe, Kevbo, me and the WOWAY admins. However, Elvis has assured me that he will not look at any area he isn't supposed to--and naturally, he and dingo are expected not to use their mod powers to influence the game in any way.

But this doesn't mean that spectators won't be able to follow the action. Most events will still take place on the public forum, and of course the results of challenges and Tribal Councils will be posted in this topic. The private forums are essentially designed as a more convenient way for the tribes to complete challenges, and to give the hosts an opportunity to view the progress. Once the individual portion of the game begins, these forums will be closed and hidden until after the game is over.

If you have any questions about this, please ask them in the chit chat thread. I'm hoping that this format will provide a unique and exciting way of running things, although at the moment it's officially classified as an experiment--I'll be eager to see what the contestants think as it plays out, especially those who have played in the past.

The game begins this Sunday, January 29, at 8 PM EST! However, you do not need to be there at that time (although it certainly wouldn't hurt), but it's essential that all players show up within the first 24 hours.

Welcome, one and all, to the latest season of Weird Al Survivor. I have really high hopes that this will prove to be one of the best editions yet, thanks to an incredible cast comprised of fresh players ready to prove what they're made of, and veterans looking to have another shot at taking the title. Plus, Kevbo and I have lined up some excellent challenges if I do say so myself (like the cast, a mix of old favorites plus some that we hope will be future classics), as well as a few dynamic new tweaks that will make this unlike any season you've seen before.

It's been nearly five years since the last Survivor game, so I'd imagine our 18 contestants are eager to get things started with the first challenge. Well, as Tree Mail indicated, you're going to have to wait a little bit longer. We have some business to attend to before the competition can officially begin.

Namely…what tribe is everybody on? Beats me. One of the biggest recurring themes of this season is going to be choices. While the players have always had a big role in dictating the direction of the game--after all, you guys are in charge of who stays and who goes--this season will take that decision-making power to a whole other level in a variety of ways throughout the game. Some of these decisions will ultimately be minor; others could completely change the course of the game. Sometimes it will lead to something good; other times, something not so good. Sometimes you'll know exactly what you're deciding; other times, it will seem almost arbitrary or even completely unknown. Sometimes these decisions will have an immediate effect, but others may take place several rounds in advance.

So let's start out with one of those immediate ones, shall we? You will be picking the tribe that you will start out on.

The two tribes that will be competing against each other this season will be The Jungle Cruise Guides and The Minor Celebrities. But alas, it's not quite as easy as just declaring which tribe you want to be a part of. Actually, it's much simpler. Below, you'll see a sandy island with 18 numbered, colored discs. Beneath each one is a randomly generated, pre-determined tribe. All you have to do is claim one of those numbers in this topic. That's it. You have until 8 PM EST tomorrow night (Monday, January 30) to make your decision. The tribes will be revealed soon after, along with the first immunity challenge.

Now for the fine print that hopefully won't be necessary but we have to include just in case not all 18 players show up and pick a disc in the next 24 hours. There are two ways we'll deal with this:-If the remaining unpicked number(s) happen to be part of the same tribe, the respective player(s) will be on that tribe.-If there's at least one remaining unpicked number for both tribes, a free-for-all Al trivia question will be posted. The first person to answer it correctly gets to select which of the remaining players they want on their tribe. We'll continue the pick'em if necessary. But again, hopefully we won't have to resort to these.

That's all on the agenda for tonight, players. Select your discs now, and if you have any questions, post them here!